Get to Know Ankhita Samuel - Distinguished Young Woman of Kansas for 2012


Hey there! My name is Ankhita Rachel Samuel and I love sleeping, eating, and being awesome. It’s a pleasure to virtually meet all of you, especially as you’re helping me avoid the monstrosity of anatomy homework that has threatened to eat me. Kidding! Totally kidding! Well about the meeting you part; you guys are awesome and NOT just my escape from homework (I promise), but in all honesty, my homework might actually sprout tentacles and consume this girl. If no one hears from me within the next two hours….


So you’re probably wondering about what goes on in the daily life of Ankhita Samuel. Well, let me tell you: parties, doing expensive things that sophisticated people do, and you know, hanging with my BFF, Ashton.

Okay, not really. Like at all. I’m one of the least sophisticated people you’ll ever meet; I’m actually eating a classy dinner of leftover tacos and Wheat Thins and an ideal night out to me means movie night with my girls. Oh, and if you’re wondering about my picture: it’s photo-shopped. But I had some of you convinced, right? It turns out that I never take normal pictures so finding a picture where I look somewhat sane was harder than it should be. I mean the only decent one of me is a photo-shopped picture with Ashton Kutcher. I don’t know what is it about having a camera within 100 feet of me that compels my facial expressions to instantly distort. Maybe there’s something wrong with me. Maybe I have a condition. You know what? I probably have a condition – I would know. I’m a doctor. Sort of. I wear a white coat and am studying to be one, so that counts right? Anyway, I’m a 1st year medical student studying to earn a BLA major with a Spanish minor in the 6 year medical program* at University of Missouri-Kansas City (Go Roos!). It’s been my dream to be a pediatrician since I was a little girl and I’ve always actively pursued that.

What else could I tell you about me, other than that I’m a chronic procrastinator and that I’m going to be a doctor?

I’m from Olathe, Kansas and I’m obsessed with the Lion King. No, like really. I’ve carried around Simba since I was a little kid and I even have a Lion King bedspread! I LOVE both The Office and How I Met Your Mother. Both shows are ending this year, and when I found this out, I pretty much had a stroke. However, I started watching Dr. Who (I’m on the second season) and it’s pretty much been my therapy; it’s getting me through this hard time while I struggle to come to terms with the harsh realities of TV show cessation. It’s a hard knock life, I know. Also, British people are awesome. I was so born in the wrong country.

While I’m telling you about my favorite media-related things, let’s talk movies. I am definitely a romantic comedy sort of girl, so some of my favorite movies are 27 Dresses and Ten Things I Hate About You. If you haven’t seen the latter movie, stop whatever you are doing, and GO WATCH IT. Also, I’m going to marry Joseph Gordon Levitt. He doesn’t know this yet, but it’s going to happen, so he’ll find out eventually. I think if I ever met him, (I’m just being honest) there would probably be a lot of hysterical screaming and perhaps a restraining order involved. I think Mean Girls is genius, but in terms of non-comedy cinema, I love Star Wars and basically every superhero movie. Particularly Spiderman and Superman (2013: Man of Steel, anyone?!).

What else could I tell you? Let’s consult the list of questions they gave me, shall we?

Okay, here’s one. If I were stuck on a deserted island, the three things I would need would be an airplane, a pilot, and a full tank of fuel. There’s no way I would live alone and without at least seven ice cream stores within walking distance. ICE CREAM. I haven’t mentioned how much I love ice cream, have I? Frankly, I love the frozen goodness and though I will eat anything, ice cream is my favorite food of all time.

I am most definitely a dog person. I love both big and little dogs (I’ve had both) but for some reason, I haven’t met a cat that doesn’t hate me. So I don’t hate cats, but I haven’t actually been given a reason to like them. My dog’s name is Titan; he’s a tiny white bichon-poo that does everything from cuddle to go on long walks with me.

As far as music goes, I listen to everything. Some people say that but I actually do. As a classical musician, I have grown to appreciate and enjoy various pieces from different centuries and even attend symphonic concerts when I can. I also happen to have a soon-to-be-16 year old brother, so it wouldn’t be extraordinary to find Eminem or 50 cent on my ipod either. No one else thinks so, but I can rap Drake like a boss.  

Now that I’ve mentioned my brother, I’ll tell you a tiny bit about my family. I have two brothers; I love them both to death, as well as my parents, who are the two most wonderful people on this earth. I don’t know where I’d be without my family!

If you can’t tell from this blog, I’ll let you know that I’m pretty quirky. I think the best part of Distinguished Young Women is that everyone not only accepted my quirks and I, but loved me for them too. In Mobile, everyone called me A-Swag, if that tells you anything. EVERYONE did. Frankly, that was pretty awesome. I think this general acceptance was exemplified during the Girl’s Night out Mardi Gras ball. It was probably one of the greatest nights I’ve ever had. Everyone was so energetic and looked so beautiful that you would never have guessed that we had just been through a very long day of rehearsal. That night was amazing for many reasons, but I will always hold it in my heart especially for one reason. Let me give you some background: I’m not a dancer. At all. I love to dance, but that’s not the same as being a dancer. The vast majority of Distinguished Young Women have had at least some background in dance, if they don’t dance practically on a professional level already. And then you have me: the girl with noodle arms and two left feet. Needless to say, I’m hilariously awkward and watching me flail around is quite a sight, but it didn’t seem to make a difference; everyone just cheered and danced harder. Also, I’ve never been with a more energetic group in my life. At school dances, parties and any other social event that may or may not revolve around dancing, I’m always the first one to run to the dance floor and that one kid who still jumps around when everyone else is done. At the Mardi Gras ball, every single one of us had every right to sit down and take one big collective nap when the night rolled around, but instead, every single one of us danced and sang out hearts out, completely unfazed. This is only one instance of a million moments that made me fall further in love with the program. I honestly could write pages and pages of why I loved my experience so much, but I’ll end this soon. I know that’s cheesy way to end this, but I should go; I think I just felt the slimy touch of a tentacle…  

Anyway, it’s an honor to be writing on this blog and I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed procrastinating! I sincerely enjoyed sharing a sliver of my life with you and look forward to doing this again!

*If any of you have any questions about the six-year medical program/are an aspiring pre-medical student, feel free to ask me questions!